The invention relates to solar energy collectors of the flat plate type which are generally mounted in a fixed location such as on top of a building. Such devices normally include a flat plate absorber surface such as a large sheet of copper to which tubing is soldered. Existing prior art collector devices are, as a rule, quite expensive to produce since they generally utilize large quantities of copper. Copper tubing is extensively used as compared to the cheaper and lighter aluminum since it has less tendency to corrode when contacted by water. Copper sheets are physically easier to solder to copper tubes so they are usually used as a base.